COMMISSION REJECTS TEMPORARY TOWERS

The planning and zoning commission unanimously rejected a proposal to amend its moratorium on communications towers to allow temporary ones Thursday night.

Sprint PCS had asked the town to modify its moratorium on communications towers so the company could install a temporary mobile tower near I-91.

The telecommunications company wants to erect a temporary 100- foot tower in North Thompsonville so it can start up its new communications system by the end of the moratorium Aug. 24. Sprint officials told the commission Thursday night that they need to erect a tower in the Enfield area to fill a gap in their network along I-91 between Hartford and Springfield.

"Enfield is a part of the puzzle that we need," said Meg Rattigan, a Hartford lawyer representing Sprint. "Every day that passes without being able to fill a hole . . . is critical to us."

A representative of Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile also asked the commission to amend the moratorium Thursday night.

Sandy Carter, a regulatory manager at Bell Atlantic, said her comapany is not looking to erect a large tower in town. But the company would like to erect a smaller temporary antenna while it waits for new regulations that would govern the installation of permanent, rooftop antennas for its cellular service, she said.

But commission members rejected the proposal, saying they don't want to allow any towers in town until they develop comprehensive regulations to govern their location and size.

"Without the full ordinance in place, we'll have too many loopholes," said commission Vice Chairman Anthony DiPace. "It'll look like Swiss cheese."

The commission's rejection of the amendment means that Sprint and other companies will have to wait until the commission develops new regulations for the towers. The commission expects to hold a public hearing on new regulations for permanent towers July 24.

Sprint's first proposal for a permanent tower in North Thompsonville prompted an outcry from the public, which led to the six-month moratorium. Federal law prohibits Enfield from banning the towers outright. The moratorium was put in place to give the planning and zoning commission time to develop regulations on their placement.

At Thursday's hearing, only three people spoke against allowing temporary towers in town, including Councilman Michael Ludwick, who lives in the area where a tower would be erected.

"They should respect the moratorium," Ludwick said. "Bell [Atlantic] is already here, and you can be sure AT&T; and MCI will be here, too. . . . We should show these people that you cannot come into this town and tell us how to do our business."

Enfield is one of many communities facing requests to erect towers that will serve a new digital telecommunications network being constructed in Connecticut. The new network will vastly improve telecommunications in the region, but its construction has residents and public officials concerned about the placement of communications towers.

Windsor and East Windsor approved new regulations governing the placement of telecommunications towers in May. Both communities had moratoriums in place before the new regulations were approved.